


the space between stars

by orphan_account



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Eventual Smut, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Porn With Plot, Porn with Feelings, Slow Burn, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-19
Updated: 2016-12-19
Packaged: 2018-09-09 21:11:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8912104
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Jack didn’t know why, of all things, he was thinking about love at death’s door, but he knew that if love couldn’t save him, it would more than certainly be the end of him.





	1. prologue

**Author's Note:**

> so I haven't written a fic in like, years...years and years. Buuut then I started playing Overwatch and I learned about the heroes backstories and I became an absolute slut for Reaper76. So this is the result. I've read a lot of fics about their time in the SEP, and after Jack becomes strike commander, but not much about when they first start up as Overwatch, when it was just them and the other older heroes. So that's what inspired this story. Eventually we'll end back up at this prologue scene, but that'll be a looong way from now. 
> 
> Enjoy!

_Prologue_

Jack Morrison was fifteen the first time he’d fallen in love.

He didn’t know why he was thinking about this, as he lay on the cold floor of Overwatch headquarters in Switzerland, watching the ceiling burn. Chunks of tile were falling all around him, smashing into a thousand little pieces on the ground. A piece of metal slid against his thigh, ripping open the uniform and cutting into his skin shallowly, but he barely felt it. He knew he must be dying. He could hardly focus on the chaos around him, on the shouts, the screams, the explosions every few seconds...instead, memories clouded him like a hallucinogen, like a kaleidoscope of emotion circling around him as time was running out. 

Her name was Abigail. She went to his school and they often spent hours after school studying. She wasn’t the most beautiful girl at school; her teeth were a little crooked, her Indiana accent a little too strong, and her hair had a tendency to look split at the ends, but Jack fell in love with her laugh. Her smile. The way she’d knock him in the shoulder with her books when she felt like he was teasing her. They held hands for the first time in the hallway, kissed at the dance a few weeks later, and she was the first person that Jack had ever come apart over, gasping for air and clawing at the sheets behind her dark hair. He breathed that he loved her against her lips, and in that moment, he truly felt that he did. His heart was racing, his blood was pumping, and he bet in that moment that he’d never meet anyone as wonderful as her. 

Until a few months later, when he saw her knocking the captain of the swim team with her books instead of him. The feeling in his stomach, the gut wrenching pain of unrequited affection was something that he was bound to get used to. He felt it every time she passed him in the halls without even a glance. He felt it when he was in bed late at night, unable to sleep. He didn’t know then that he would feel it again, for different people, all throughout his life. When he packed his bags at 18 and joined the military, he felt it again for a fellow soldier named Ben, a redheaded adrenaline junkie from Delaware. They, too, spent time tangled in sheets, but as Jack had come to learn about love, it just wasn’t something that was meant for him. After Ben left him high and dry, he’d come to terms with the fact that he would never find what he was looking for. He would never let himself feel strongly for anyone, because he knew deep down that it would never work out.

When he met Gabriel Reyes, and that coiling feeling of heat raced in his gut, he sighed and muttered, “Well, here we go again.”

Jack had been picked for the Soldier Enhancement Program (SEP, they called it) with high praises and the promise of potential. In actuality, Jack just wanted to go back to Indiana. He figured he’d give it a try anyway, since he’d more than likely be kicked out anyway (these enhancement programs didn’t seem to have the best turnover rate). On his first day, he was greeted by a large assembly of men and women, saluting a group of officers at the front of an auditorium in the SEP headquarters in Colorado. He stood next to a woman named Francesca, a young, raven-haired girl from southern Texas. She gave him a warm smile when he looked at her. She was pretty - beautiful, even. Jack might’ve attempted to talk to her if his name hadn’t been called only seconds later.

“Morrison, Jack. You’ll be reporting to Officer Reyes.”

When Jack first saw Gabriel, it was like the room around him paused. As if everyone in the room knew the thoughts going through Jack’s head, as if they knew how much faster his heart started to pump when he laid eyes on his Officer. Reyes had dark brown skin, a clean-shaven face that promoted a jawline so fine Jack was sure it could cut through bone, and beautiful, wavy dark hair that was shaved on the sides. There was a scar through one of his eyebrows, and when Jack first saw his eyes, he thought he was about to fall into a black hole. They were so dark they were almost black. Jack had never seen eyes like that before. He was transfixed. 

Reyes cocked his head at Jack, an eyebrow raised. “Are you gonna stand there and stare all day, or are you going to report to the training room, _idioto?_ ”

Jack jumped. He hadn’t been expecting the faintest lilt of an accent. He saluted Reyes and apologized before backing away and following a group of soldiers to the training room. He could feel those dark eyes on the back of his neck and he left the room. 

Jack had a hard time keeping Reyes out of his head. He spent many a night in his bunk wide awake, listening to the sounds of his fellow soldiers snoozing. He tried to imagine what Gabriel sounded like when he slept - did he snore? Did he breathe loudly, or was he so quiet he could be dead? He closed his eyes and pretended he was next to him, his thick, brown arm around his waist, holding him closer. He had to imagine that body felt rock hard, without a inch of fat beneath the skin. Jack wanted to know what his hair smelled like. He was infatuated beyond belief. He hated himself for it because, unfortunately, Jack seemed like the last person Gabriel Reyes wanted anything to do with.

“Is that the best you got?” snapped Reyes one day during a practice fight, observing Jack and another soldier wrestle on the ground. “Afraid to mess up your perfect gold hair? You’re a disgrace, Morrison. I know squirrels with better technique than you.”

Gritting his teeth, Jack swooped a leg under his opponent and sent him crashing to the ground. His ears felt hot as he pushed the soldier down, kneeling himself on his back and pulling the soldier’s arms over his head to subdue him. As the soldier struggled beneath him, Jack sent Reyes a smirk. “Squirrels, you say?”

Reyes said nothing. His mouth was drawn in a tight line, but Jack was sure he saw the corner of the officer’s mouth twitch. Jack took that as a good sign.

In the field, Reyes was always at Jack’s side, criticizing his every move. Jack was sure he could take down 100 omnics in one shot and Reyes would still find a flaw in his moves. “Aim lower, _cabrón_ ,” instructed Reyes, nudging Jack’s free arm. “Tuck your elbow in. Don’t be afraid to duck if you have to. You’re no hero. They see you as expendable. Don’t let yourself be.”

Jack followed Reyes down a dark alley not too far from the SEP headquarters, gun raised and eyes alert. He didn’t account for the omnic hiding behind a dumpster, and when it raised itself to shoot, Jack was sure he could see his life flash in front of him. But then Reyes came out of nowhere and grabbed Jack by the collar, pulling him aside as he shot the omnic into oblivion. Or so he thought. His dark hand was curled around Jack’s collar as Reyes turned to him, fury in his eyes. “You’re impossible, Morrison. There will come a day when I won’t be here to save your skinny ass, and I hope when that day comes, you remember how to use your gun.”

As he was speaking, Jack noticed the omnic stirring. A shot fired out, just barely grazing Reyes’ arm. Before the officer could turn, Jack fit his gun over Reyes’ shoulder and shot the omnic down. When he was sure the omnic wouldn’t move again, he smiled at the look of disbelief Reyes was giving him. “Looks like you’re the one who needs me, _sir_.”

Their faces were inches apart - Gabriel’s eyes were still wide and incredulous, while Jack barked out a laugh, his eyes bright and victorious. Gabriel’s fingers loosened around Jack’s lapel, and for a second, just a brief little second, Jack thought he saw something ignite in the officer’s eyes. A flame. A spark. Something, just something that sent shivers running down Jack’s spine…

But then Reyes shoved him away, shaking his head. “You’re just lucky, boy scout. Luck won’t do you much good on the battlefield.”

“Whatever you say, sir,” replied Jack, his cheeks warm as he followed Reyes back out of the alleyway.

And on it went. Jack liked to poke at Reyes, prod him until his dark face flushed and he was snarling at him. He was eager to show him up, to prove himself, to impress him. Reyes never let him get more than a few seconds of victory before he’d shove him to the ground, trip him up, or say something disparaging in an attempt to wipe the smile off of his face. Reyes loved to bruise him, but Jack knew his actions weren’t meant to scar him. Reyes was always by his side, usually grumbling about being stuck with the _gringo_ , but nothing made Jack happier than Reyes even showing him scraps of attention, those eyes piercing into his from across the room.

Jack felt the blood from his leg soak the fabric of pants, but he didn’t move. He would wait for death. He could hear shuffling around him, but he didn’t look up. He had no will to save himself. He could feel the flames getting closer to him, the heat gradually touching his exposed skin. He sighed. This is how he always knew he would go. On his back, surrounded by disaster, with Gabriel Reyes’ dark eyes the only thing on his mind.

“Jack!” came a feminine cry from somewhere, sounding like half of a sob. “Jack, where are you?”

He couldn’t respond even if he wanted to. There were finger-like bruises around his neck from where his attacker had choked him, squeezing him as tightly as he could with large, dark hands. He could do nothing but whisper in a rasp of a voice. 

“ _Jack!_ ” she cried again.

“Jack…”

His memories took over once more. The room around him dissolved. The sun had barely risen over Ilios, but Gabriel was breathing against his ear, hot and short puffs of air as he pressed himself against Jack’s backside. “You drive me crazy, _mi amor_ ,” murmured Gabriel, sighing against his shoulder, “Absolutely _loco_.”

“Gabe,” he muttered, need in his voice. 

“What, _querido_? Tell me what you want.”

“You.”

Tears formed in Jack’s eyes. The watered his cheeks, his wrinkling cheeks that were covered in scars. Some were from today, others from battles long since over. Crashes continued to sound around him until he focused on the footsteps nearing him. Jack watched as a gloved hand reached for his face, for his chin, to pull him up from the ground. Something cool and metal was pressed against his forehead. 

“Do it,” muttered Jack, his voice nearly gone and breaking. “Just _do_ it already.”

The gun clicked. Jack braced himself, the tears still sliding down his face. He put a hand on the gun, not to push it away, but to keep it firmly where it was against his head. He managed to look up at his attacker, at the man he loved...the man he’d ruined.

“Do it,” Jack repeated.

The hand bracing his chin tensed. The fingers webbed out, holding his face almost gently. “Goodbye, Jack,” came the man’s voice in a whisper. 

Jack didn’t know why, of all things, he was thinking about love at death’s door, but he knew that if love couldn’t save him, it would more than certainly be the end of him.


	2. Chapter One

It was a cold, brisk morning in Colorado when Jack packed up all of his belongings. His room at the SEP headquarters was nothing more than a box with a few beds in it. All of the soldiers shared rooms - Jack was used to this; he hadn’t slept alone in a room since before he joined the military when he was 18. On the precipice of 21 now, Jack was more than used to sharing quarters with other men. His bed was all the way in the back of the room, furthest from the door, closest to the wide window that looked out over the Rockies. It was winter, and it sure felt like it, for Jack could feel the chilliness of the outdoors even through the walls of the building. He shivered as he slid his clothes into his suitcase, emptying his small wardrobe of everything he’d brought to the SEP when he joined nearly a year before.

It was almost sad. All of his belongings barely filled just one small suitcase. He had his clothes, of course - most of his training uniforms would be left behind for another similarly sized enhanced soldier to enjoy. He pressed a hand on an old flannel shirt he’d taken with him from Bloomington. It had once belonged to his grandfather. A farmer’s shirt for a farm boy. Jack could almost hear Gabriel’s taunt in his head. “They need to stop picking farm boys for this program,” Gabriel had once said, shaking his head. “The toughest opponent you’ve ever had was a pig.”

“You don’t have to call yourself that,” sniped back Jack. Gabriel raised an eyebrow at that one. Jack quickly looked away and added, “...sir”.

To Jack’s surprise, Gabriel laughed. It was a rare, beautiful sound. Jack had only heard Gabriel laugh a few times in a year of knowing him. Each time it happened, it automatically made Jack smile this stupid grin until Gabriel would call him an _“idioto”_ and tell him to get back to work.

Jack couldn’t help but smile at the memory as he ran a finger over the shirt. He slipped it under some socks and continued to pack. A knock came from the door behind him, where the empty beds of the other soldiers lay. Most of them were at breakfast, but Jack had orders to pack his things and go to the lobby. He and Reyes had been chosen for some new government program called Overwatch. Gabriel was to be the commander, while Jack had been chosen to accompany him along with other international agents. When Jack first learned he was leaving the SEP, he was filled with a white-hot panic. He was certain he’d never see Reyes again if he left. When they mentioned Reyes would be in charge, it put his heart at ease, but it also made Jack incredibly frustrated. He needed to not be so attached to his officer. It made him weak and besides, he was sure Gabriel could tell how much he liked him. Jack had begun making it a point to avoid Gabriel during meals and down-time, so that he didn’t catch on to what was going on beneath the surface. It wasn’t too difficult to avoid him, though; Gabriel was a very difficult person to find when he wanted to be alone.

Jack answered the door. Francesca stood outside, her dark hair tied in a braid that cascaded down the left side of her neck. She wore a lot more makeup than she usually did. Jack was surprised to see that she was in her civvies - a short, flowing purple dress with a floral pattern. She looked very pretty indeed. Sometimes Jack wished he’d never met Gabriel, because he was sure the man had ruined women for him. He could see the way Francesca looked at him, like he was something out of a magazine, but Jack had very little desire to reciprocate, as beautiful and kind as she was. 

She held out her arms to him when he opened to door. “Jack,” she said, smiling. He leaned down to give her a friendly hug. She smelled like something sweet and tropical. 

“Hey,” he replied, pulling back and leaning against the doorframe. “Why aren’t you at breakfast?”

“I wanted to catch you before you left.” She held out a box that was neatly wrapped in tissue paper. “I brought you something. Made it, actually.”

Jack looked at the box, feeling his cheeks turn red. Jack would be an idiot to think he was unattractive - he could see the effect he had on some of the women (and men) in the SEP. Still, he always felt awkward and uncomfortable whenever someone exhibited feelings towards him. Perhaps he was so used to Gabriel, who hurled insults like they were compliments, that he forgot what it was like to be treated nicely.

“Fran, you didn’t...you didn’t have to,” he tried to say, handing it back, but she laughed and pushed his hand back to his chest, tucking the box inside his arm. 

“Modest Morrison. Can’t you let me treat you well?” said Francesca, her eyes bright. 

Jack stepped out of the doorframe and let her in the room. He didn’t shut the door behind them as he placed the box on his bed. Did she want him to open it now? He glanced at her for some indication of what she wanted. She pressed the ball of her foot against the back of his leg, prodding him. 

It was a scarf. Hand-knitted, it looked like. It was blue (“I tried to match your eyes,” she explained, twisting her fingers nervously from behind him as she sat on his bed) and it smelled like her, like coconuts and hibiscus. It was a beautiful gift. He could tell she had really taken some time on it. 

“Fran, this is really, really nice,” he said, turning to look at her. She looked so nervous (he groaned internally - the last thing he wanted to do was hurt her) but he leaned down to put a hand on her shoulder. “You made this?”

Francesca nodded, her confidence building back up. “Just something I do in my down-time. I don’t know where you’re going, but I figured it might be cold eventually, so...you know. It’ll help.”

Jack broke out in a grin. “I’m sure it will. I love it.”

Francesca was Jack’s first friend in the SEP. She reported to someone else (Officer Lewis, a short blonde woman with a temper) but they always found time to hang out in between training and injection days. He knew she had feelings for him. She’d told him so after the first few weeks. He wanted to feel something for her too. Wouldn’t it be easier that way? Every time he thought he could, he’d see Gabriel again and he’d remember how much he felt for his officer. It was a physical reaction, seeing Gabriel. Hearing him. Jack hated being attracted to him. He was the definition of “off limits”. 

He’d go from being with Gabriel to being with Francesca and in comparison, he felt nothing but amicable, friendly feelings towards her. He told her so, but he knew he led her on from time to time. He wished he could stop but sometimes, like now, he couldn’t help it.

Which is why he didn’t blame Francesca for standing up, wrapping the scarf around his neck, and kissing him soundly on the lips, pulling him down into her.

Jack froze for a few moments, unsure of what to do. There was so much of her around him now - her scent, her hair, her hands clutching at the scarf around his neck, her body pressing up against his, but it was too soft. Too feminine. He felt his hands rest on her waist, but he started to fall into the kiss. It had been over a year since someone had kissed him like this. He felt her let out a sigh against his lips and pull him closer. He responded almost mechanically, feeling nothing but apprehension mixed with a longing to be close to someone again.

Someone cleared their throat from the doorway. Francesca pulled away from him quickly. Jack’s eyes snapped open. He knew that sound. 

Of course Gabriel motherfucking Reyes would be at his door for the first time in a year when he was in the middle of kissing someone else. 

“Officer Reyes,” stuttered Jack, letting go of Francesca like she was on fire. He jumped back into a salute. Francesca had enough composure to do so too. Gabriel was leaning against the same doorway Jack had been against not too long ago, arms crossed, and eyebrows raised in a cool stare. 

“I believe that’s ‘commander’ to you now, Morrison,” said Gabriel, his tone flat and almost bored. Jack was sure his face was bright red. Gabriel’s black eyes slid over to Francesca. “You’re wanted in the mess hall, Carlone.”

“Yes, sir,” she said. She gave Jack one last wistful look before leaving the room. Jack barely spared her a glance. His eyes were fixed on Gabriel.

As soon as she was gone, Jack began to babble. Why, he didn’t know. He didn’t owe Gabriel anything. Gabriel had never shown even a hint of an interest in Jack, or even other men in general. For some reason, Jack felt like he was betraying him. “That was nothing, sir. She was just saying goodbye.”

“I can’t think of anything I care less about than what or who you do in your free time, _gringo_ ,” said Gabriel, flicking some invisible lint off of his sleeve. “I was just checking to make sure you were done packing. We’re wanted in the lobby in 5 minutes.”

Jack swallowed. He was so used to Gabriel’s jabs that it barely hurt him anymore. He dropped his hand from his forehead. “I’m almost done. I’ll be there.”

“Fabulous. Don’t keep me waiting.”

Jack spun around and hurriedly shoved everything he had left in his suitcase. He zipped it up and left the box the scarf came in on the bed. He forgot it was still around his neck until Gabriel reached out a hand to touch it as he walked by him in the doorway. Jack found himself, for the second time in two minutes, unable to move. Gabriel wasn’t technically touching him, but Jack could feel the scarf moving around his neck. For a heated moment, he thought Gabriel might rip it from his neck, but he merely dropped his hand and scoffed. “Looks like you have an admirer.”

Jack shrugged. “Doesn’t matter now.”

Gabriel smirked, his face wicked. “I wonder how you’ll do at Overwatch with nobody kissing the ground you walk on. Just a blonde farm boy with a gun.”

“And about three dozen enhancement injections.”

“Yet, I can still knock you into next week,” countered Gabriel. They walked side by side to the holo-lift that would take them to the lobby. Gabriel punched in the floor number and then leaned up against the wall. 

“Are you nervous?” asked Jack. He certainly was. He had millions of doubts running through his head (what if he wasn’t good enough, what if he wasn’t ready, what if he died) and he was just a soldier. Gabriel was the one running the damn program. The boss. The commander. 

But Gabriel, in his usual fashion, rolled his eyes and shrugged off the question. “Am I nervous...do you even know me, _cabrón_?”

_No,_ Jack wanted to say, watching Gabriel shift against the wall. _You won’t let me._

They spent the rest of the short ride in silence. When they reached the lobby, a few of the SEP higher-up’s were standing by the glass main doors. Jack shook hands with them, thanking them for the opportunity, before he and Gabriel were shown to a dropship right outside the base.

“You’ve got a long flight to your new headquarters,” said one of the SEP chiefs. “Get comfortable. There will be no stops, except for a pick up.”

“Got it,” replied Jack. He cast a sideways glance at Gabriel, who was speaking in a low voice to an attractive man in a military uniform. Jack pushed his jealousy aside and walked towards the ship, getting on board.

It was simple, but nice. There were a few bunks in the back, as well as a table, some computer screens, and a few seats. Jack threw his stuff on one of the beds and sat down. Gabriel joined him soon after, stepping onto the ship with an emotionless look in his eye. He didn’t seem sad to be leaving the SEP, but Jack noticed that Gabriel didn’t seem to have many friends anyway. He always ate alone. Always exercised alone. Jack watched as Gabriel took a seat at the table and put his feet up. Jack couldn’t help but admire his nonchalance. He felt like his insides were going to turn into liquid at any moment.

The pilot introduced herself as Grima, an older woman with thick eyebrows. She tapped on one of the screens to showcase their travel course. It looked like they were stopping in Egypt before making their way up to somewhere in Europe. “Trip should take most of the day. If there’s any issue, you can get me on my comm,” she said, before walking into the cockpit and closing the door behind her. 

The ship took off. The SEP headquarters that Jack had called home for a year quickly faded from sight. He thought about Francesca. He felt sorry that he hadn’t really given her a goodbye. They’d left things so awkward. He told himself he’d make it up to her when he got back. Perhaps he’d send her a letter in the meantime. He sat himself down at one of the screens and began to write out an apology. When Gabriel walked by after using the restroom a few minutes later, he snorted. “Missing your girlfriend already?”

“She’s just a friend.”

“Right. And so are we.”

Jack gave Gabriel a quizzical look. “Now that we’re not in the SEP, you mind telling me why you hate me so much?”

Gabriel fell onto the bunk next to Jack’s. “Hate is a strong word. I don’t hate you.”

“You have a funny way of showing it.”

Gabriel snickered. “Why do you care if I like you or not? Be whoever you want. Don’t worry about my approval.”

“I don’t need your approval,” retorted Jack. Lie. _Such_ a lie. But he turned from the screen. “I just want to know what I did to piss you off.”

“Look at yourself, _gringo_. Pretty white boy from Indiana is in the military for what, two years? And yet you’re picked for one of the most top-secret programs in the world. Your speed is enhanced. Body. Mind. Agility. Then, as if that weren’t enough, out of hundreds of soldiers, you’re picked for an _even_ more exclusive government program? You don’t have even the faintest idea of why that would bother me?” 

Jack heard every word, although his mind might’ve blurred a little at the word ‘pretty’. He frowned, comprehension setting in. “Reyes...are you _jealous_ of me or something?”

“Fuck no. I can slam your ass to the ground any day of the week.”

“Then what the hell is your problem?”

“My problem is you!” snapped Gabriel, running a hand through his short hair. He stood up very suddenly. “You stumble around with a gun in your hand with barely three years of experience and think you know everything. It took me years to get to where I am. A lot more than three. I’ve taken everything I’ve learned and I’ve worked hard at it, every day. What did you do? Look like an underwear model?”

Jack stood as well. Anger lit in his gut. “You really think I’m here because of the way I look?”

“What else is there? I was your officer, Morrison. I know how you fight. You’re good, but you’re not amazing. Not yet. You need more time. More experience. You definitely don’t deserve to be shipping out with me to Overwatch. Do you realize Ana Amari will be among us? She’s one of the best snipers in the world,” said Gabriel, sitting back on the bed. “I guarantee you’ll be dead by the end of our first mission. And then who will be blamed?”

It was the most Jack had ever heard Gabriel speak at one time. He was confused by the anger he felt, incensed that Gabriel really thought that low of him. A part of him wanted to prove himself, but the rest? “You can go fuck yourself, Reyes,” muttered Jack, turning his back on him. 

He couldn’t see Gabriel, but he heard him rise from the bed again. “What the fuck did you just say to me?”

“You heard me,” said Jack, looking over his shoulder. Gabriel was seething, a heavy scowl on his face. “I know you’re my commander now. But if you ever say anything like that to me again, I’ll beat the shit out of you.”

“Oh, what, did I upset you, cabrón?” mocked Gabriel, coming up from behind him. He felt Gabriel’s hands push at his back. “What are you gonna do about it?”

Jack turned rapidly and knocked Gabriel’s hands away. Almost instantly, Gabriel’s fingers were curled around his lapel, shoving him back into the metal wall. “You’re gonna fight me? On our way to Overwatch?”

“If you keep saying that shit, then yeah,” said Jack, glaring at him. He couldn’t ignore the feeling of Gabriel’s fingers gliding across the skin of his neck, but he was too mad at the Commander to focus on it. “I wouldn’t have been chosen if I didn’t deserve this.”

“Then prove it,” said Gabriel simply, letting Jack go. He held his arms up. Jack could see a bit of sweat at the top of his hairline. “Prove me wrong. Go ahead.”

Jack ignored him. To think that just a few hours ago, he was more excited than anything to be shipping off with Gabriel. Now, if he got too close to him, he wasn’t sure that he wouldn’t try to rip his head off.

They spent the rest of the trip in relative silence. Gabriel fell asleep after about an hour of tossing a ball he’d brought in the air. Jack finished his letter to Francesca, apologizing for the abrupt ending to their goodbye (though in actuality he was really quite thankful). The sun was setting out in the sky around them. Pinkish hues danced in the clouds. Jack sat at one of the desks near the screens and just stared out the window until it was too dark to see much. The first time he’d ever flown was when he joined the SEP. It was still alien to him. He quietly went to his bunk to lay down, only a foot away from where Gabriel was snoozing.

Jack stared at him. Gabriel’s left eye was twitching slightly, but other than that, he seemed at peace. Jack resisted the urge to reach out a hand and touch his face. He sighed. “I wish you liked me,” mumbled Jack embarrassingly, under his breath. “Even if it’s not the same way I feel about you. Just wish you didn’t despise me.”

He leaned his head back and, while looking at Gabriel’s sleeping form, he too fell asleep.

\--

They reached the Temple of Anubis in record time. Grima landed the dropship down in the middle of a deserted area. When the ship landed, everything shook. Jack woke with a start, to see Gabriel standing near where the doors opened. He rubbed his eyes and stood, moving slowly over to where the doors were. “Are we at headquarters already?”

“No. Picking someone up.”

“Oh.” Jack was not used to the feeling of being warm, but the Egyptian night air was a welcome change to the frosty Colorado one he was used to. He shed the scarf that he’d forgotten was on. Gabriel was staring at it as Jack draped it over one of the desks near the door. “Do you know who it is?” asked Jack. He was still a little pissed at Gabriel from before, but he tried not to let it show.

“I would assume Amari,” said Gabriel, turning away from him. 

Reyes was right. After a few minutes, the doors opened, and in walked a beautiful woman with long, brown hair, eyes almost as dark as Gabriel’s, and a tattoo under one of her eyes. She eyed them both carefully before setting her things on the floor. Gabriel, to Jack’s surprise, jumped right up and stuck his hand out. “Ms. Amari, it’s an honor to meet you.”

Ana shook his hand. “Yes. You must be Reyes. I’ve heard all about you.”

“All good things, I hope.”

“Hmm,” she replied, not answering his question. Gabriel took his hand back. She glanced over at Jack, eyeing him up and down. “My. Aren’t you a handsome one.”

Jack flushed. The last thing he needed was for Gabriel to have more ammo to throw in his direction. He tried not to look at Gabriel as he stepped forward to greet Ana Amari. “Nice to meet you,” he said, feeling awkward.

“And you,” she assured him. “I’ll be ready to take off soon. Just have to say goodbye to my daughter.”

Jack looked behind her, out towards the sandy landscape they had landed on. A small girl with short black hair stood away from the ship, holding the hand of an older woman that Jack assumed to be Ana’s mother. Ana walked back out to embrace her daughter. Jack looked away, giving them privacy, but Gabriel kept on looking at them. “Well, you must be happy,” commented Jack, trying to keep the peace. “Seems like you were excited to meet the best sniper in the world.”

Gabriel didn’t look at him. He watching the young daughter cling to her mother’s leg, begging her not to go. “How long has it been since you’ve seen your family?” asked Gabriel suddenly, his voice low.

Jack frowned. “A while,” he admitted, after a few moments.

Gabriel nodded. “Same here.”

Ana, after much wheedling, managed to get her daughter to let her go. Jack walked back to his bunk as the dropship began to launch again. He thought he saw wetness on Ana Amari’s face, but he pretended that it was just the lighting.

As the ship took off for Europe, Jack tried to make conversation. “What’s your daughter’s name?”

“Fareeha.”

“How old?”

“Six.”

Jack pulled back. It didn’t seem like Ana wanted to talk much. She was staring out of the window, a lost sort of expression on her face. The ship carried them over the Mediterranean, fluid and quick in the night sky. Jack reached into his bag to pull out some crackers he’d snuck in. His stomach had been rumbling for at least three hours. He offered some to Ana, who, to his surprise, took a few and sat at the table across from his bed.

Gabriel was tossing his ball into the air again. “Throw some of those my way, Morrison.”

Jack pretended not to hear him. He kept eating, tucking the rest of the food back in his bag.

Gabriel sat up. “You deaf, _hombre_?”

“I’m sorry, did you need something?”

Gabriel threw the ball at his shoulder. “You’re such an asshole.”

“Says the pot.”

Gabriel rolled his eyes. He was really good at that. He sent a pulse shocking through Jack’s gut. He reached for the ball that had landed under his bed and tossed it back to Gabriel. He caught it in a large hand, and lazily threw it back to him. They tossed it back and forth until Ana spoke.

“Do you know where we’re going?” she asked. Her voice had an Arabesque accent to it, but it was deep for a woman, almost sultry. 

“I’m not sure. Somewhere in Europe, I think,” remarked Jack, catching the ball. He juggled it in his hands for a bit before throwing it back to Reyes. “I’m not good with geography.”

“That’s what happens when you don’t leave Indiana until you’re 18 years old,” muttered Gabriel, catching the ball. “I bet this is your first time leaving the country. Am I right?”

Jack said nothing. He did, however, throw the ball back a little rougher the next time he got it. He was thrilled to see the hint of a smirk on Gabriel’s face.

“I’d never left Egypt until I was twenty,” said Ana, defending him. “The world is beautiful, but right now, it is too dangerous. Too much strife. It is difficult to appreciate the better things in life when we are constantly at risk of losing a war.”

“Well, that’s what we’re here for, right?” said Jack. He caught the ball and weighed it in his hand. “We have to eliminate that risk. Defend our race. Take the world back for humanity.”

Gabriel scoffed. “How poetic.”

“I don’t hear you coming up with any motivational speeches over there, commander,” shot Jack, raising an eyebrow.

“No need. Just do what you’re supposed to do, or else I’ll put my foot up your ass.”

“How poetic,” said Ana. She was smiling now, the first smile Jack had seen from her since she boarded the ship.

-

They landed in Switzerland very early in the morning. Jack rose stiffly, realizing he’d spent an entire day on a ship. Desperate for fresh air, he rushed to the doors as soon as they opened up at Overwatch Headquarters.

The building was large, but not massive. It sat on top of a beautiful green mountain overlooking a valley of wildflowers. A large, oval lake lay at the bottom of the mountain. Jack was reminded of hot summers in Indiana spent swimming in lakes. He ached to jump in, to get the feeling of the ship off of his skin. He noticed a few people standing by the entrance to the building. He recognized Gabriel and Ana, but there were two other men he didn’t know. He strode down to the building, the Swiss sun shining brightly in the sky.

The two men were complete opposites of each other. One was quite large - perhaps one of the largest men Jack had ever seen. The other was incredibly short. Ana noticed him approaching and stopped speaking. “Gentlemen, this is Jack Morrison. Jack reported to Gabriel in the American Soldier Enhancement Program.”

“Pleased to meet you,” said the taller one, sticking out a large hand. “Name’s Wilhelm. Reinhardt, once we’re more acquainted.”

“Call me Torbjörn,” said the smaller one in a Swedish accent. 

Jack shook each of their hands and introduced himself. He saw Gabriel step away, looking out onto the lake. As Ana and the two men went into the building to take the tour, Jack waited a moment to see what Gabriel was up to. He stopped behind him, slipping his hands in his pockets.

“You alright?” asked Jack.

Gabriel’s large shoulders shrugged. “We’ve got a lot to do before we ship out on our first mission. We need to train. Learn each other’s fighting styles. How we can compliment each other.”

“Lucky you and I already have each other down pretty well.”

“Yeah, Morrison, about that…” Gabriel turned, surveying Jack with his dark eyes. “I still need to train you. All that shit we got into yesterday aside. I can’t have you being a liability. If I have to stop a mission to save your ass, I might kill you.”

“I can take care of myself,” replied Jack, his voice hard. “Will you ever stop treating me like a kid?”

“You _are_ a kid,” said Gabriel, smirking. “You can’t even drink yet.”

“You’re not much older than me.”

“Still,” said Gabriel, walking towards the door. He clapped a hand on Jack’s shoulder as he walked by. “We’re going to do some serious training before we ship out. Take today to get to know the others. The facility. But first thing tomorrow morning, _hombre_ , it’s just you and me.”

Jack watched the back of Gabriel’s head, confused as the other man disappeared inside of the building. That was life knowing Gabriel Reyes. One hour he was chewing your head off, the next he was offering to help you. Jack sighed. He looked back at the dropship, where his scarf was swaying in the breeze that was trickling inside. He could see Gabriel’s ball sitting on top of the bed. He tried not to think of private sparring sessions with Gabriel Reyes; he hadn't even been offered those back when Reyes was his officer. They'd fought, sure. Around other people. But the two of them, alone? Wrestling around on the floor?

It was going to be a long day.

**Author's Note:**

> you can follow/harass me on tumblr at [@dorvalante](www.dorvalante.tumblr.com)


End file.
